Hair curling device



A118- 20, 1957 l.. LERNER 2,803,256

HAIR CURLING DEVICE Filed Aug. 8, 1955 INVENTQR Lows L. LERNER '5)' ATr'oRMEY United States Patent Olice 2,803,256 Patented Aug. 20, 1957 HAIR CU RLING DEVICE Louis L. Lerner, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Gillette Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Application August 8, 1955, Serial No. 526,886

Claims. (Cl. 132-34) This invention relates to a hair curling device and pertains more specifically toV such a device having a hollow body or winding member provided with a hairengaging member which is retractable into the hollow body.

Although a variety of different processes are involved in caring for women hair, such as washing, waving, dyeing and setting, the one which is most frequently encountered is that of setting the hair in a particular style. Regardless of what processing a coiffure has been subjected to, it must eventually be set in pin curls to achieve the final styling.

It is a common practice, in forming such pin curls, to'employ a linger for wrapping of the curl, a process which not only requires considerable time and effort, but usually results in curls of varying size, both because the diameters of the individual curls vary and becauee the amount of hair in each tress employed for making a curl varies. This lack of uniformity not only leads to unsatisfactory hair styling when the pin curling is cmployed for setting the hair in a particular style, but it is particularly serious when the pin curls are wound in preparation for a so-called pin curl permanent wave, since in the latter case lack of uniformity of the curls leads to unequal penetration of the waving lotion into the curled hair and consequent variation in the extent of the wave produced.

One object of the present invention is to provide a pin curling device having a mandrel or winding member of predetermined fixed diameter and hair engaging members of predetermined fixed dimensions which limit the amount of hair which may be wound into a single curl.

Another object is to provide a pin curling device which facilitates the production of curls of uniform size which are readily reproducible.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hair curling device of simple and inexpensive construction having one or more hair-engaging members which may readily be extendedV to facilitate curl formation then retracted into the body of the device to permit removal ofV the device from the finished curl.

Another object isV to provide a device of the type described having a minimum number of separate parts adapted to be molded from plastic material and readily assembled with a minimum number of operations.

Still another object is to provide a device of the character described in which the extension and retraction of the hair-engaging members is provided by means of slidably mounted parts free from hinges, pivots, and other protuberances which tend to snag or catch in the hair.

Other and further objects will be apparent from the drawings and from the description which follows.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a View in side elevation of one embodiment of the present invention showing the hair-engaging combs in retracted position;

Fig. 2 is an exploded view showing the several parts of the device with the handle portion partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 showing the hair-engaging combs in extended position;

Fig. 6 is a view in cross-section taken along the line 6 6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a view in cross-section taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a plan view, partly broken away, showing the right hand portion of the device as seen seen in Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section, partly broken away, showing the joint between the two portions of the body or winding member;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the actuating member which serves to extend and retract the hair-engaging combs;

Fig. 11 is a view in side elevation of the actuating member shown in Fig. l0;

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 12-12 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 13--13 of Fig. 4.

As shown in the drawings, the device of the present invention comprises an elongated, generally cylindrical, hollow body or winding member provided with a pair of diametrically opposed elongated apertures 10. 10 (one of which is shown in Fig. l) adjacent one end. Mounted within the hollow winding member for extension and retration through the apertures 10, 10 are a pair of hairengaging combs 12, 12, each comb being provided with an elongated cam surface 14 in the form of a rib extending along its back, as seen in Fig. 2. This cam surface slopes with respect to the axis of the winding member and mates with a second elongated sloping cam surface in the form of a groove 16 in the sde of actuating member 18 which is mounted within the hollow winding member for axially reciprocating movement. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, combs 12, 12 are mounted in laterally spaced-apart position for extension and retraction along paths spaced from and parallel to a diameter of the winding member, actuating member 18 extending between combs 12, 12.

The body or winding member in the embodiment shown is preferably molded from plastic material, as are all of the remaining parts of the device. In order to facilitate assembly, the body or winding member is molded in two separate portions 20 and 22. Member 20, which contains apertures 10, 10 adjacent its closed end, is provided with a bell 24 at its other end which receives the mating end of portion 22. Apertures 10, 10 extend inwardly from the mating or bell end of member 20, as seen in Figs. 2 and l2, to permit ready insection of comb members 12, 12 during assembly of the device. The mating end of portion 22 is provided with a pair of lugs 26, 26 which extend into the open ends of apertures 10, 10 and serve the dual function of locking portions 20, 22 against relative rotation after assembly and of providing an end stop for apertures 10, 10 to maintain combs 12, 12 in longitudinally fixed position in the winding member. The right-hand portion 22 of the winding member is also provided with a pair of diametrically opposed longitudinally extending slotted openings 28, 28 extending inwardly from its mating end. When the two portions 20, 22 are assembled together as shown in Figs. 4. 5 and 9, the mating end of portion 20 serves as an end stop for slots 28, 28 in portion 22.

Means for reciprocating the actuating member 1S is provided in the form of a collar 30 slidably mounted on the winding member adjacent slots 28, 2S, collar 30 being provided with a diametrically extending pin 32 so arranged that it seats in slot 34 of actuating member 18 and serves to link together collar 30 and actuating member 18. The right-hand end of the winding member, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, may conveniently serve as a handle for manipulating the device and for that purpose may be provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves 36 which tend to prevent slipping of the device during use. The left-hand end of the device, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, which contains the extensible and retractable hair-engaging combs may be tapered slightly toward its closed end to facilitate removal of the device from the completed curl.

In assembling the device, combs 12, 12 are first mounted on opposite sides of actuating member 1S with their ribs 14 properly seated in grooves 16 and in their retracted position. This assembly is then inserted endwise into the open end of member 20. Collar 30 is then forced over the end of actauting member 18 until pin 32, which is slightly flexible to permit it to ride up over the flattened end portion 38 of the actuating member, seats in groove 34. Member 22 may then be inserted through collar 30, pin 32 being received by slots 28, 28. Element 22 is advanced through collar 30 until its mating end seats against the mating end of element 20 within bell 24 with lugs 26, 26 entering into the open ends of apertures 10, 10. The two elements 20, 22 may be secured together in any suitable fashion, as by cementing, welding, fusing, etc.

In operation, the device may be manipulated with one hand. In order to form a curl, collar 30 is first drawn to the right, as shown in Fig. 5, in order to extend combs 12, 12. A tress of hair is then engaged by the combs and wound into a curl simply by rotating the entire winding member about its longitudinal axis. When the curl has been completely formed, the closed end of element 20 may be placed against the head and the curl held by the fingers or any other suitable means. Collar 30 is then advanced to the position shown in Fig. 4, retracting combs 12, 12, whereupon the entire device may simply be withdrawn endwise from the interior of the finished curl.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein, it is not intended to limit the invention solely thereto, but to include all of the obvious variations and modifications within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A hair curling device comprising an elongated, generally cylindrical, hollow winding member having a pair of diametrically opposite apertures in its lateral wall adjacent one end thereof, a pair of hair-engaging elements each mounted within said winding member in longitudinally fixed position for extension and retraction through one of. said apertures, each said element having an elongated cam surface extending generally longitudinally of said winding member and sloping with respect to the axis thereof, said cam surfaces sloping in opposite directions with respect to each other, an actuating member mounted within said winding member for reciprocating movement longitudinally thereof and having a pair of oppositely sloping elongated cam surfaces mating with the earn surfaces of said hair-engaging elements, and

means for reciprocating said atcuating member to extend and retract said elements.

2. A hair curling device as defined in claim l in which said hollow winding member is provided with a longitudinally elongated opening in its lateral wall longitudinally spaced from said pair of apertures and the means for reciprocating the actuating member comprises a collar slidably mounted on said winding member linked with said actuating member through said Opening.

3. A hair curling device as defined in claim 2 in which the winding member comprises a pair of generally cylindrical hollow molded plastic elements secured together, the parting line between said elements lying at the end of said elongated opening nearest the apertures.

4. A hair curling device as defined in claim 2 in which the winding member comprises a pair of generally cylindrical hollow molded plastic elements secured together in endto-end relation, said apertures being disposed in one said element and said opening being disposed in the other said element, both said apertures and said opening extending inwardly from the mating ends of said elements, one of said elements having a bell at its mating end adapted to receive the mating end of the other element whereby said bell and said mating end provide end stops for said apertures and opening when the elements are secured in mating relationship.

5. A hair curling device comprising an elongated generally cylindrical hollow winding member having a pair of diametrically opposite axially elongated apertures in its lateral wall adjacent one end thereof and at least one axially slotted opening through said wall longitudinally spaced from said apertures, a pair of combs mounted within said winding member in longitudinally fixed position laterally spaced apart from each other, each comb being extendable and retractable through one of said apertures along a path parallel to and spaced from a diameter of said winding member and having an elongated cam surface extending along its back sloping with respect to the axis of said winding member, the cam surfaces of said combs sloping oppositely with respect to each other, an actuating member within said winding member extending between said spaced combs and having a pair of oppositely sloping elongated cam surfaces mating with the cam surfaces 0f said combs, said actuating member being mounted for reciprocating movement axially of said winding member, a collar mounted for axially sliding movement on said winding member adjacent said slotted opening, and means extending through said opening connecting said collar and said actuating member whereby sliding movement of said collar produces extension and retraction of said combs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 21,704 Caldora Feb. 4, 1941 2,225,454 Kayn Dec. 17, 1940 2,526,577 Kenstrom et al Oct. 17, 1950 2,577,991 Zurndorfer Dec. 11, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 13,569 France Aug. 11, 1891 

